ABSTRACT
Today, nature-based landscapes in Switzerland are becoming an increasingly scarce resource. For this reason there is a growing need among visitors for a better designation of suitable areas, including national parks, biosphere reserves, world heritage sites as well as regional nature parks and nature experience parks. With regard to the future development of new parks, the question arises as to where the different objectives between protection and development can meet and where they are presumably going to be exclusive. Most regional players agree that there is potential for synergy between the promotion of the regional economy and nature protection. Not just marketing organizations in tourism, but also a number of nature protection organizations together with tourist professionals have started to shape and market exemplary nature-based tourist offerings in the past years. Thus while in some areas the regional nature park forms a basic element of the regional development strategy, in other areas there are further development alternatives.
